Pix Of The Day: Last Working Mill On The Thames
CREDITS: © Paul Allen & Janet Humphreys/BerkshireCAM.net
MAPS: Mapledurham (and detail).
When clicked, thumbnails popup enlarged versions of the images.

We had been unable to connect to BerkshireCAM.net for a while, and had begun to suspect its demise. Today, however, it was back up with a brief acknowledgement of some technical problems, and featuring a CAM visit to Cornwall on vacation. Perhaps the server gremlins struck when there was nobody around to take corrective action. Visit the current weekly gallery for another view of the English southwest peninsula countryside, Charles Winpenny's home ground!

Today's feature is from an earlier entry on BerkshireCAM, which caught our attention because it was captioned as the last working water mill on the River Thames. In both historical and modern times the Thames has been an important river, and having the modern UK capital, London, on its banks only confirms that importance. We did pause to wonder how many water mills the river had fed in the heyday of such technology.

The mill is part of the Mapledurham Estate, which was recorded in the eleventh century Doomsday Book, the record that King William ordered to detail his conquests after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The modern estate is a commercial events center, hosting wedding receptions and offering activities such as golf, shooting, and quad biking. The web site has an interesting history page: check it out for the weird trophy head of the wolf in sheep's clothing!

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On This Day In 2002: Mooney Falls - Fri, 04 Oct 2002
MAPS: [1:Region] [2:District]

Lorrie Sarafin, founder of the Sonoran Spirits Flute Society, visited the Mooney Falls on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, and came back with this splendid shot. We almost passed the picture by until we saw those tiny figures in the pool at the bottom, which give scale to this impressive cascade. This area of the Grand Canyon is much less visited than the North Rim area, which is easier of access and consequently more frequented. If you visit Lorrie's page you will see how the base of the falls can be visited by means of some old miners' tunnels, not a trip for the faint hearted. One account has it that the tunnels were made to recover the body of a miner named Mooney, who fell to his death below the falls. Lorrie has an Arizona photo gallery that is well worth a visit.

The Sonoran Spirits Flute Society, founded in June of 2000, is dedicated to seeking an understanding of indigenous cultures through music, knowledge, and community service. The Society embraces all world flutes, but especially Native American flutes, and membership is open to those who wish to learn more about these instruments and their cultures.

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